Author: OllieJohn

We strive to deliver a single seamless journey across all touch-points from initial enquiry right through to any required post sales support. We’ll assign a customer account manager and designated point of contact throughout the whole process.

Knowing where the customer decision-making process starts and ends let alone how and when to start engaging with customers is more than a challenge but a necessity.

During the last few years the customer decision-making process has been turned on its head.

Gone are the days of fixed customer planning and budgetary cycles where the customer had little choice but to come to you. Buying has gone from a static process to a dynamic rollercoaster of decision-making. The web and social media now offer a rich seam of intelligence for customers to do their own research on vendors, putting them firmly in control like never before.

Taff Housing Association is one of 3 long established community based HAs in Cardiff, we’re 41 years old this year! 41 years and we find ourselves at the beginning of another transformation journey. A journey which has several key pillars – these include leadership, innovation, collaboration and working smarter with the resources we have.A Guest Blog from Elaine Ballard, Chief Executive of Taff Housing Association | As featured in Welsh Housing Quarterly

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a new, universal set of goals, targets and indicators that UN member states will be expected to use to frame their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years. The Global Goals follow and expand on the millennium development goals (MDGs), which were agreed by governments in 2001 and expired at the end of 2015.

A domestic abuse survivor who was shot by her estranged husband at her hairdressing business is to speak at a Cardiff housing conference in the hope of helping others experiencing abuse.

Rachel Williams, who is now a campaigner and ambassador for Welsh Women’s Aid, will attend the TAI conference in the city’s SWALEC Stadium on Wednesday with the aim of preventing future domestic abuse cases. Rachel has been invited to speak at the event by software experts Locality Solutions, to highlight the importance of sharing information through technology.

The Welsh Government has put in place a Well-being of Future Generations Act in order to achieve sustainable development. In other words, the act aims to create a better nation through improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural well being of Wales.

The act consists of 44 public sector bodies who are all encouraged to think more about the long term, work better with communities and each other, look to prevent problems and take more of a joined up approach.

One of Wales’ rising technology experts is celebrating International Women’s Day by encouraging more women into technology roles.

Karen Boparoy, a successful businesswoman and director of technology company Locality Solutions, wants to see more female STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) role models engaging with young people and encouraging them to seize the opportunities that a career in STEM holds.

Boparoy, who is originally from Malaysia, gained two degrees in commerce and technology from the University of Auckland before spending the next 10 years working for global companies, including Fortune 500s, in New Zealand, Australia and America. She is now product director for Cardiff-based specialists Locality, providing innovative case management software to tackle anti-social behaviour, hate crime and domestic abuse.

Recent research from the Institute of Engineering and Technology shows that 50% of parents believe that engineering is a ‘boy’s’ profession. Only 45% of parents with a daughter said they would consider engineering as a suitable career for her, yet this figure increased to 67% when it was demonstrated to them how diverse and creative the profession could be.

Boparoy wants to see more young technology professionals engaging with schools and young people directly and talking about the breadth of opportunities on offer – from creating apps to working on huge space projects.

“We are soon to launch initiatives in schools, which is something we are incredibly excited by,” she said. “The schools we have engaged with so far have been extremely supportive and understand the importance of our agenda; to display how creative and exciting the world of technology can be and how a career in STEM is accessible to everyone.”

The UK needs an extra 1.82m engineers in the next decade, leading to excellent career prospects for engineering graduates and some of the highest starting salaries offered.

“For decades to come there are going to be creative & wonderful jobs within this diverse sector,” says Boparoy. “There is this incredible opportunity within technology to be out there making a real difference to the way we live and work and to the planet.”

Our Managing Director Ade recently appeared on BBC Wales’ consumer rights programme X-Ray contributing to a feature on job recruitment website scams. The story follows Tia who fell victim to such a scam and aims to highlight some of the pitfalls to look out for.

A group of Cardiff-based businesses have added their names to the growing list of supporters of the Homes for Wales campaign for universal affordable housing in Wales.

Technology firm Locality Solutions and the Royal Society of Architects in Wales, based in Cardiff’s Creative Quarter, and PR firm Chatterbox Communications, based at Welsh ICE in Caerphilly, are amongst those calling on the next Welsh Government to clearly set out how it will address the housing crisis as part of the new Programme for Government.

Concerned about a lack of appropriate housing and welfare cuts, the businesses share Homes for Wales’ belief that everyone has the right to safe, secure and affordable housing. Since 2008, house prices have risen by 16% and, in Wales, 12,000 new homes are needed each year to meet demand. In addition, more than 5,000 households were accepted as homeless in 2015, whilst 8,596 families have been on the housing waiting list since before the last election.

Locality Solutions, which creates smart, mobile technology to help some of Wales’s leading housing associations tackle issues such as anti social behaviour and domestic violence, believes collaboration is key to making communities safer. Head of customer experience Ollie John said:

“Collaboration between housing stakeholders in Wales can shape the way for strong, desirable, cohesive communities but we need the support of the next Welsh Government. Significant investment into affordable housing is required to achieve this and Locality is proud to support the Homes for Wales campaign.”

RSAW director Mary Wrenn said:

“RSAW is proud to support the Homes for Wales campaign because we believe that housing is the most fundamental of human rights and architects have a key role to play in creating homes that are practical and sustainable, to suit all budgets and needs.”

Chatterbox Communications creative director Rebecca Lees added:

“I was extremely lucky to get on the property ladder just before the boom but, for my children’s generation, affordable housing will be out of reach for many. The next Welsh Government must take notice of this vital campaign and make homes a priority – for everyone, not just the lucky few.”

Members of the group plan to join a rally in Cardiff on Friday, March 4, marching from the Senedd to the city centre in support of Homes for Wales. The coalition, led by seven organisations, has the backing of actor Michael Sheen as well as hundreds of housing providers, organisations and individuals.